The 1920's

Innovation and Modernization of the automotive industry

The 1920's

Innovation and Modernization of the automotive industry

Thesis statement

Did the change that took place in the automobile industry during the 1920's improve innovation and modernization of the American way of life?

Final thesis statement

The modernization and industrialization of the automobile industry was best for the American people in the 1920's

Quotes

Alfred Sloan

"the primary object of the corporation was to make money and not just cars".

Henry Ford

"Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in turn trying to solve them".

Evidence

Supporting

The assembly line allows for ford vehicles to be made in a much faster time which was 1.5 hours while it was previously 12.5 hours. This allowed more of these vehicles to be made which in turn allowed Henry Ford to cut automobile prices six times putting a new ford at the cost of $290 which was less than three months of an average American workers wage.

cost efficent

fast creation

assembly line

cost efficent

fast creation

assembly line

Henry Ford modernized the workday by introduced a starting minimum wage of 5 dollars for every worker he hired into his corporation, which was twice what normal workers earned. He also shortened the workday from 9 hours to 8 and eventually changed his work week from 6 days to 5 days a week.

Cars revolutionized the American way of life by promoting family togetherness through evening rides, picnics and weekend excursions.

The automobile industry produced 12.7 percent of all manufacturing output and employed one of every twelve workers.

Automobiles in turn stimulated the growth of steel, glass, and rubber industries, along with the gas stations, motor lodges, camp grounds, and hot dog stands.

Opposing

Automobiles gave young people freedom and privacy, serving as "portable bed rooms" that couples could take anywhere. Also teens being out somewhere and getting distracted leading to these distractions causing 30,000 traffic death per year causing 2 billion dollars spent on road maintenance and property damage.

Rebuttal

But money was quickly made back while car companies spent over 3 billion in advertising their vehicles and at the same time continuing to improve vehicles and their safety features. Making people want to keep buying cars.